Federal Disaster Funds Ordered for Vt. in Aiding State, Local Government Storm Recovery

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster funds have been made available for Vermont to help state and local governments recover from the effects of a series of severe storms that began last month.

Michael Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said President Bush authorized the aid under a major disaster declaration issued following a review of FEMA’s analysis of the state’s request for federal assistance. The declaration covers damage to public property from severe storms and flooding that occurred over the period of Aug. 12 through Sept. 12.

After the President’s action, Brown designated the counties of Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, and Windham eligible for federal funding to pay the state and affected local governments and certain private non-profit organizations 75 percent of the approved costs for the restoration of damaged facilities. The funding also covers eligible state and local government costs for debris removal and emergency services related to the disaster.

In addition, Brown said federal funds will be available to the seven designated counties on a cost-shared basis for approved projects that reduce future disaster risks. He indicated that additional designations may be made later if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.